CLARINET WORLD

Dr. Francisco Javier de Alba, known as Paco, is a visionary composer, performer, and educator. With performances spanning the United States, Europe, and Asia, his music stands out for its unique blend of technical brilliance and emotional depth. Dr. Paco’s compositions push boundaries, offering listeners an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the final note.

Dr. Kristen Denny-Chambers, clarinetist, teacher, composer, and founder of Clarinet Playground, has performed as a freelance, chamber and orchestral clarinetist in several venues including the Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague, the Fort Smith Symphony, Wyoming Symphony, Longmont Symphony, Colorado Light Opera and the Tulsa Symphony. Having no formal compositional training, Kristen wrote a clarinet exercise book called "Prep Steps Before You Kroepsch" in 2016 with the goal of bridging the gap between high school and college-level clarinet methods. A few years later, Kristen began writing the "Finger Fitness Études" series and has also been writing solo and ensemble pieces for all clarinets. The Clarinet Playground books have found their way into the clarinet studios of many universities in the USA and beyond, and one of her étude books (Finger Fitness Études Book 2) is now used as part of the All State band audition materials in the state of Oklahoma. Dr. Denny-Chambers holds degrees from the University of Tulsa, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the University of Colorado-Boulder.

Three-time Grammy nominated contemporary American composer Miguel del Aguila creates distinctive, innovative modern classical music highly influenced by his Latin American roots. A prominent voice in 20th and 21st-century music, he remains a vital influence in contemporary classical music, with 140 compositions that infuse musical diversity into the modern chamber and orchestral music repertoire. His creative, rhythm-driven works blend tradition with modernity with drama and nostalgic nods to his South American Hispanic heritage. With 60 CDs, his music enjoys 200+ live performances yearly, earning acclaim like “brilliant and witty” (NY Times) and “sonically dazzling” (LA Times). Thousands of soloists, ensembles and orchestras commissioned and perform his music worldwide. Besides three Grammy nominations, he received a Kennedy Center Friedheim Award, New Music USA’s Music Alive and Magnum Opus, Copland Foundation awards among many others.